A Google exec who's only in the office from 9 to 5:30 shares the routine that keeps him from becoming a workaholic

Sticking to a routine helps Hiroshi Lockheimer (pictured) lead a balanced life. Hiroshi Lockheimer

For Google's SVP of platforms and ecosystems Hiroshi Lockheimer, work and free time tend to blend a bit.

He usually ends up spending at least part of his evening working on projects.

"It's not something that's easy for me to compartmentalize," he told Business Insider.

Still, Lockheimer achieves balance by making time for activities that are important to him, like taking his kids to school and exercising, as well as sticking to a standard 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. workday.

"I fully recognize that there's no single formula and everyone is different and everyone has a different threshold," Lockheimer said. "For me, though, the underlying point in all this is I'm really passionate about what I'm doing so it comes a little bit naturally for me."

Here's a look inside his busy schedule:

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Lockheimer said he wakes up excited to head to work. "I love my job," he said. "I like the projects that I'm doing. I'm very passionate about those things."

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As part of the job, Lockheimer has to travel quite a lot.

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"We're a partnership-based business and our partners are all over the world," he said.

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When he's back in Silicon Valley, he drops off his two kids at school every morning before heading to the office. "That's almost religious for me. That's something I really enjoy doing and I insist on doing."

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"We listen to the news in the morning together and they ask questions about what's happening in the world," he said. "I like that. That's a big part of my morning."

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He typically gets into work around 9 a.m.

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As an SVP, Lockheimer no longer spends hours writing code — which he said he misses. He said he always tries to consider how to best allocate his time, and avoids hovering over his team or spending every waking minute answering emails.

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He does strive to set aside time to think: "Being able to look at the big picture, and just think about what we're working on, what's happening in the industry, what should we be doing — it sounds really simple but is actually really hard to carve out time in your day to think."

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Lockheimer works out for half an hour every day, even when he's traveling. "It recharges me, physically and mentally." He used to do it whenever he found the time, but now he sticks to a schedule.

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Lockheimer typically leaves work at around 5:30 p.m. Once he gets home, he eats dinner with his family.

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After supper, Lockheimer spends time hanging out or watching shows with his family. Once the kids have gone to bed, he'll get some more work done. "I'll get back on the laptop and catch up on things," he said.

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Before turning in, Lockheimer enjoys spending some time researching his own interests and industry trends.

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"I don’t know if this is good advice or not — but I’m just being honest how it is for me — for me in many ways my personal life and my work life are kind of intertwined," he said. "It’s hard to separate those things."

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It's a busy day, but it's one that works for Lockheimer. "Generally I try to stick to my routine as much as I can," he said.